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Highdown photo competition winner's gift to her mum

The winner of a photographic competition to celebrate Worthing's spectacular Highdown Gardens snapped up some blooming lovely prizes - and in a caring gesture gave them to her mum to enjoy.

Katie Wade, whose mother Deborah suffers from Alzheimer's, has enjoyed visits to the town's hidden gem attraction with her family since she was a child.

Now a mother herself, she immediately thought of her mum when she found out she was the winner of Take Highdown Home, a competition to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Frederick Stern, founder of the pioneering gardens which are home to a national collection of rare trees and plants.

Competition entrants were invited to submit their favourite photos of Highdown, with the winners receiving their choice from a selection of plants grown at the gardens which are owned and maintained by Worthing Borough Council.

Katie's winning picture, Cherry Blossom, was snapped on her Samsung Galaxy S6 phone while visiting Highdown in the spring with her mum and aunt.

Keen photographer Katie said:

"We've always been fond of Highdown Gardens. It's such a tranquil place and it changes with the seasons, so there's always something different to see.

"I'm giving the plants to my mum as she has Alzheimer's and nothing makes her happier than sitting in her garden with my dad around the flowers.

"Coming to Highdown is such a relaxing experience for her. We couldn't believe how glorious the cherry blossom trees looked, so I just had to capture this beautiful memory."

Runner-up was Sarah Nelson's cheerful Happy Tree Stump picture, which was taken in the lower garden.

Sarah, who has just completed a Royal Horticultural Society qualification and volunteers at the RHS's Wisley Gardens in Surrey, thinks the photo captures the spirit of Highdown. The family are also regular visitors to the gardens and love that they have different areas to explore and are not too manicured.

Head Gardener Gary Prescod and the Highdown team selected a shortlist of four pictures from the competition entries and the winners were chosen in a public vote on Adur & Worthing Councils' Facebook page.

Gary said:

"The competition has been a great way to share the beauty of the gardens with thousands of people. We were very impressed by the variety of entries, which captured so many glorious aspects of these special gardens, and it was quite a challenge to whittle them down to the final four.

"Congratulations to our winners and I hope that, through their prizes, they'll enjoy their own special part of Highdown for many years to come."